Update: Police release name of fatal hit-and-run victim; ask for public’s help

ST. GEORGE — The identity of the victim of a deadly hit-and-run Saturday night has been released as police continue to investigate the incident and seek the public’s help to identify the individual responsible.

Police, detectives and accident-reconstruction team respond to the scene of an apparent hit-and-run incident that killed a woman on North Dixie Drive, St. George, Utah, Dec. 9, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Bettina Abraham, 53, was found on the side of the road after being struck by a vehicle on North Dixie Drive just south of the Biolife facility Saturday at 8 p.m., according to police.

Abraham was found by two passersby and police were contacted. Officers, emergency personnel and an accident-reconstruction team were called out, as was the investigations unit.

Read more: People find body of woman killed in a hit-and-run on Dixie Drive

The teams worked together to collect and process evidence found at the scene, including evidence that suggests the vehicle sustained front-end damage during the incident.

Additional evidence has been gathered since Saturday, police said.

Even so, the identity of the driver or the vehicle is still unknown to police.

A video requesting the public’s help in identifying the driver was posted on the St. George Police Department’s Facebook page, featuring the department’s public information officer, Lona Trombley.

It is the first time the police department has made a video to request help from the community.

Police are urging anyone to call with information regarding the vehicle, any damage to a vehicle or other information that would help police pinpoint the time when the incident occurred.

“If you were in the area of Dixie Drive and Biolife at anytime between 5 p.m. on Saturday until 8 p.m. we are asking that you please call into dispatch 435-627-4300 and talk to our detectives,” Trombley said.

Trombley also addressed the driver who may be responsible for the incident, urging the person to come forward and to speak to police.

“We just need to talk to you and find out what happened,” she said.

Trombley added that the incident isn’t going to go away, the family needs closure, the investigation is active and officers are following up on all leads.

Police respond to report of a body found on North Dixie Drive from an apparent hit-and-run incident, St. George, Utah, Dec. 9, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Abraham, a grandmother and mother of two grown daughters, moved to St. George from El Cajon, California, last year to be closer to her family.

A GoFundMe account was set up Monday to help with cremation costs and travel expenses for Abraham’s youngest daughter who lives in Arizona.

The family is also “looking to the St. George community to help shed light on this terrible tragedy,” the post said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the St. George Police Department at 435-627-4300. 

“We are very fortunate to live in St. George with such a wonderful community,” Trombley said, “and again, thank you for all of your help and assistance.”

This report is based on statements from police or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

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9 Comments

  • DRT December 12, 2017 at 9:00 am

    Accidents do happen. But only a complete coward would hit a pedestrian and then, rather than trying to help the individual, running away and hiding.

  • comments December 12, 2017 at 10:23 am

    Depending on how LDS the perpetrator was, he/she may or may not get charged when they finally find him/her? Had the perpetrator not decided to flee the scene he/she most likely would’ve got off with no charges, as this would have been a typical “no fault” situation under UT law. That’s really terrible to blast down the road and mow someone down like an animal and just keep blasting down the road like a maniac. There’ll be a cozy, warm little place in hell for people that do this sort of thing. I see people in this town get away with all kinds of things just because they’re well connected or have a high status in the LDS church. It really makes a person sick to see it.

    Condolences to the family. That’s a terrible way to lose a parent.

    • comments December 12, 2017 at 10:28 am

      Anyway it’s easy to jump to conclusions too fast and we don’t have the full story. We don’t know if the victim was wandering around in the road in dark clothes or on the crosswalk, etc. Driver still needs to turn himself in.

      • comments December 12, 2017 at 10:30 am

        Add to that, that people think dixie dr is their personal racetrack, blasting around at 50-60mph. Where’s the cops at? we don’t need any more race tracks in this town…..

  • redrock4 December 12, 2017 at 1:08 pm

    Maybe practice minding your own business and you won’t have so many questions.

    • ladybugavenger December 12, 2017 at 1:53 pm

      Was it a camaro?

    • ladybugavenger December 12, 2017 at 1:55 pm

      Not suppose to be under your comment red rock. By the time I noticed, it was too late.

      P.S. it is everyone’s business when people are ran over and a driver doesn’t stop.

    • comments December 12, 2017 at 4:06 pm

      Sounds exactly like something Dump would say.

      • mesaman December 12, 2017 at 8:17 pm

        Don’t believe every thing you think, ms comment.

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